Defensive line: B-

The defensive line was somewhat of a bright spot. Jay Ratliff, Igor Olshansky, and Marcus Spears did a good job bottling up Adrian Peterson. Stephen Bowen and Jason Hatcher were non-factors rushing the passer. Spears missed a great opportunity for a sack when a pump fake by a rolling Brett Favre caused Spears to leap into the air only to watch Favre deliver a touchdown to Sidney Rice.

Linebackers: B

An early sack by Demarcus Ware had me believing that the matchup with Phil Loadholt and Bryant McKinnie would favor the Cowboys, but Brett Favre adjusted by getting the ball off earlier, even if it meant throwing into coverage. Minnesota used rollouts effectively to get Favre away from Anthony Spencer and Ware. While there were many pathetic performances to choose from, I think the single event that summed up the game for me was Keith Brooking's taking offense at the Vikings' final touchdown. While I love the emotion that Brooking has brought to the team in 2009, sometimes it's just a little too much.

Secondary: C+

The Dallas secondary did a reasonably good job in coverage. However, breakdowns at critical junctures put the Cowboys in a big hole early. No mistake was bigger than Gerald Sensabaugh's inability to get his head turned in time to make a play on a Favre pass that ended up in Rice's hands for a spectacular catcn-and-run to open the scoring. Sensabaugh never knew what happened. Terence Newman no longer looks like much of an asset on the field. He's often in the area and is a sure tackler, but he's no longer forcing the quarterback to throw to the other side. That may be a result of the superior coverage that Mike Jenkins has displayed. Jenkins was the victim of a Favre-to-Rice chuck-and-duck when he couldn't defend Favre's pass, which led to a Vikings touchdown. Orlando Scandrick was aggressive, tackled well, and covered well, even if he got away with a hold or two.

Special Teams: D

David Buehler had two touchbacks in two attempts. Mat McBriar turned in his average performance. That was it, though. The kick return team stinks on ice. Patrick Crayton missed a huge opportunity when he fumbled a punt just before halftime.Crayton recovered the fumble, but he had just one linebacker to beat to spring himself for a huge yardage, if not a touchdown. Shaun Suisham missed two long kicks, the first of which flipped field position and preceded the first Vikings touchdown and the second of which dampened any hopes the Cowboys might have had to get back in the game.

Coaching: D

Jason Garrett has a long way to go as a playcaller. His election to run a play from the Razorback at the Vikings 10-yard line left me scratching my head. It's a formation that has produced little outside of a fluky 66-yard run several weeks ago. It gained but a yard and helped stall yet another drive in the red zone. I've no idea whose decision it was to give the ailing Marion Barber snaps when Felix Jones was playing so well, or to start Colombo over Free, or to keep running Williams out there when he and Romo can't produce, but that has to stop if the Cowboys want to take the next step. Whether it was poor execution, poor preparation, or poor strategy, Garrett is ultimately responsible for getting points on the board, and it's been the same story over and over in Cowboys losses. It's the offense that isn't getting the job done.

All in all, it was a nice season for the Cowboys, but they enter the offseason inspiring only a little more confidence than year's past. The playoff monkey is off their collective back, but, ironically, that win might prevent them from solving the myriad problems the team faces if 2010 should be an uncapped year. The last eight teams standing would face certain free agency rules, which just might mean that Dallas needs to solve the issues organically. I wonder if there are any more Miles Austins hiding on the roster.

---BRIAN COOLEY.